It Happens
by babygirl669
Summary: Present Day. Gale left for the Army and left Katniss behind to fend for herself. Luckily, Peeta is there to help her out. Read and Review


**This is my first Hunger Games fan fiction, so take it a little easy on me? Review at the end and tell me how I did and how I can make it better.**

Okay, okay. I know I was dating someone else, but he was there. And my boyfriend wasn't. I hate to admit it, but Peeta was hotter, he may have been shorter, but who the hell cares?

Here's the deal, Gale left for the Army, and I was left back in Kentucky, alone. Or almost alone, I still had my best friend, Peeta Mellark.

Peeta fell all over himself at my feet, and he hung on my every last word, but for the longest time, I had no idea what his feelings were for me. I saw him as a little brother, and I had fallen for my childhood friend, Gale Hawthorne.

I guess I should start with an introduction, my name is Katniss Everdeen. I am 18 years old, and I recently graduated from a small school, in a hick town in Kentucky called Panem. My graduating class was thirty-two, including me, Gale and Peeta.

Gale had enlisted in the Army our junior year of high school, and I fully supported his decision. He and I started dating at the end of summer between junior and senior year, after he got back from his boot camp. We had a great time; we went to movies at our town's local movie theater, and we often went cruising from town to town in his Chevy pickup truck. I was sure I was in love with him. Honestly, from the day I met him in seventh grade. He was tall, brooding, and handsome.

He was my first true love, and there was nothing, no one that could take that position from him. Of course, he wasn't my first boyfriend; that title belonged to one James Apple. As sweet as he was, I could have stayed with him for the rest of my life, but he had other plans. After one month of being together sometime in our freshman year, he broke things off with me, and I ran crying to Gale. He was my shoulder to cry on, and he even offered to beat the kid up. I said no, of course, because it wasn't James' fault that I wasn't his type. I understood that.

Anyway, after graduation, I had two months with Gale before he left to meet with his troop and depart to whatever war we were fighting. We tried to make the most of it, because we both still lived with our parents. It was impossible to get alone time in either of our houses. I mean, it helped, in a way, that he wasn't the oldest of the Hawthorne boys. His parents trusted him more, or just didn't care as much as they did with his siblings.

I, on the other hand, was the older of two girls, and my mom was strict as hell with me. She couldn't let her 18 year old daughter become impure, could she? Of course not, so I was trapped emotionally when we decided to visit my house.

I am just going to skip to the part where he left. I'll get back to that in between time later on. That August morning was emotional for me. Not so much for him, because he couldn't be. He had to face all of his buddies in his troop, and if he rolled in with a tear-stained face, he would never hear the end of it. Talk about double standards.

He left town around nine in the morning, and I was a puddle in my room. I didn't want to get up; I didn't want to go to work. I felt drained, but I couldn't stop crying. I felt like my heart was ripped from my chest.

Around noon, my sister came into the room. She asked, "Can I get you anything, Katniss?"

I mumbled a soft "no", through my sobs, and as she turned to leave, I said, "Peeta, I want Peeta."

Within a half an hour, the blond was in my room, sitting on my bed, petting my head.

I know it killed him to see me like this. You see, he was never a big fan of Gale. Mostly because he got me, not Peeta, and that has always made him hold a grudge, resentment against the taller boy.

I looked up with teary eyes, and I saw a smile rise out of him. "Hey, Katniss, how are you doin'?"

I took a deep, shaky breath before answering, "Not so good, dude." I shook my head and began to sit up. I got dizzy and laid back down, in his lap this time.

"Oh, okay then." He said, startled.

"Sorry. Got dizzy." I replied, taking a quick peek up at him.

"It's all right." He said, returning his hand to my hair. He softly stroked from the root and followed the lock to the end before letting go. This was one thing I preferred about Peeta to Gale. He had this sensitive side that always wanted to make sure I was okay. And it would stroke my hair; it wouldn't offer to beat up anyone, because it knows that's not what I want in life. After I started feeling better, he left, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

I didn't see anyone besides my coworkers and customers at the diner I worked at for three weeks. I kept my head down. I drove myself to work, I drove myself, and only myself home. I stayed indoors.

One day, in that fourth week after Gale left, Peeta came to my front door on my day off. I was still in my fuzzy pajama pants and a tank top when I answered the door.

"Do you want to come to a movie with me?"

I looked down at what I was wearing, "Um, no?"

"Let me rephrase that. Get dressed; we're going to see a movie." He took charge, and I gasped a little bit.

"Okay, come in." I opened the door a little more to let him through and I went to my room to change into presentable attire for a public outing.

I chose a short-sleeved black and white paisley blouse, light blue boot cut jeans, and a simple pair of sneakers. I grabbed a ponytail holder and threw my hair up into a bun. I walked out of my room and toward the blond boy. Without hesitating, I walked into him, and I started hugging him. He was surprised at first, but returned the hug quickly.

"Thank you." I said, implying his kindness.

"You're welcome. Let's go." I repealed from the hug and started walking out the door, and I felt his hand on the small of my back. It felt nice.

 **Hey guys, thanks for reading, I will be continuing with another chapter. Review for me?**

 **Thanks again, Babygirl669**


End file.
